H.O.T.

H.O.T. (Korean: 에이치오티; pronounced "H. O. T.", acronym for Highfive of Teenagers) was a South Korean boy band that was created by SM Entertainment in 1996. They are considered to be the first K-pop idol group and their successful formula became the model for many K-pop groups that followed them. The group consisted of five members: Moon Hee-joon, Jang Woo-hyuk, Tony Ahn, Kangta, and Lee Jae-won.

H.O.T. sold over 6.4 million records in South Korea during their career. They were also commercially successful in China and Taiwan, and were among the first stars of the Korean Wave in Asia.

The group broke up in 2001 following a contract disagreement with SM Entertainment, prompting hundreds of fans to stage protests against the company. Currently, only Kangta, an executive of SM Entertainment, remains at the company.

Formation

Record producer Lee Soo-man, the founder of SM Entertainment, formed the group in 1996 by using information that he had obtained from polling high school students to find out what their idol pop group would be like. The first member to join the group was Kangta, whom Lee discovered at an amusement park. Next to join were friends and singing partners Moon Hee-joon and Lee Jae-won. Jang Woo-hyuk joined the group after attracting Lee's attention by winning first place in a dance contest. Finally, Tony Ahn joined the group after auditioning for Lee in Los Angeles.